Container Ship Wreck 'Rena' Update

Salvors made good progress in removing containers and cargo from the 'Rena'; debris seenon beaches

Svitzer salvors have made good progress in removing containers and cargo from Rena throughout the week.

Salvage

Dive operations to remove smaller pieces of debris and cargo have been undertaken. Divers are cutting into parts of the submerged stern section to gain access to containers for removal.

Container and debris recovery

The Braemar recovery team is investigating reports of debris washing ashore on Great Barrier Island.

The team will fly over the island as soon as weather conditions are favourable to assess the situation.

Braemar NZ Operations Manager Neil Lloyd says that staff will respond accordingly, deploying a fast response craft and clean up teams to deal with the matter.

Meanwhile, clean up operations on the Coromandel are continuing. Methods for collecting plastic beads have been finalised and will be into action next week, as the weather improves.

On Matakana Island, debris has been collected and stockpiled ready to be heli-lifted for disposal. The air lift is scheduled for next week, along with further efforts to clean up plastic beads from island beaches.

With the latest recovery efforts, the total number of containers received ashore from Rena is 762 – this is made up of 661 removed from the decks and holds of Rena, and another 101 retrieved from the extended area around the wreck, and the shoreline.

Small amounts of residual oil have been observed in some areas between Mount Maunganui and Papamoa. These have not required clean-up operations but the sites will continue to be monitored by survey teams.